Flames of Vengeance
by Shadow Knight5
Summary: Hikaru and Lantis have a daughter, the pride and joy of Cephiro's castle. What lengths will her brother go to to free her from slavery. More importantly, what lengths will he not go to? *Has been formatted*
1. Default Chapter

Flame of Vengeance  
  
Prologue: Birth of Children, Birth of Hate  
  
It was stormy outside the castle of Cephiro, the magical land of will. Three men were sitting in a room, pacing impatiently, waiting for word, any word that might tell them what is happening. Another man, short to the point of childhood, coughed to get their attention. Prince Ferio of Cephiro, Ascot the Summoner, and Lantis the Magic Swordsman, looked at the man with perhaps the most deceiving appearance of any Cephirion inhabitant; Master Mage Clef.  
  
"Would the three of you please stop pacing? You are acting like this is the first time a woman was with child." Though even Clef had to admit it was strange how all three friends became pregnant and were now having children at the same exact time.  
  
Ferio, the royal leader of Cephiro and a hero of the War of Four, looked like he was about to break down at any minute. "Yeah, but that was never our women!"  
  
Clef snorted, "Knowing you, Ferio, you'd better get used to it."  
  
A woman's piercing cry filled the castle, and then the wailing of a baby. Presea quickly ran toward the men.  
  
"Ferio..." Before she could finish, Ferio went rushing down to his precious Fuu, The Magic Knight of Wind and Princess of Cephiro, and their new-born child. Presea went running after him.  
  
Ascot chuckled nervously, "Kinda jumpy, isn't he?"  
  
Lantis, never one for small talk, except with his beloved, merely nodded. Ascot, who in reality was only 13 years old, had purposely willed that he acquire the body of a man, for the sole purpose of sharing the most intimate relationship one could have with a woman, Umi, the Magic Knight of Water. Lantis knew that of all of them, Ascot was the most worried; no, that wasn't true. He was the merely the one who had the most difficulty with containing it...ah what the hell, he wasn't containing it at all. Another, this time higher pitched scream filled the castle again, this time from another direction. Ascot, blushing at recognizing the scream, (or rather, the reason he recognized the scream) rushed down to the corridor, nearly knocking into Presea on his way down. Lantis sat down; grateful of the quite, as Clef was never one for small talk either. He decided to reflect on his memories of Hikaru, the Magic Knight of Fire and the last Pillar. It had been five years, five wonderful years. Ever since he and the guys had managed to convince the girls' family that they would be living "In another country and wouldn't get to visit often, if at all," they had been together, never leaving each other's side. The people were at first not to comfortable with the relationship between the "Pillar" and the brother of the High Priest Zagato, but on seeing no world's crumble, the people began to accept it. He had often wondered what captivated Zagato in this game of love. Not that he didn't understand the concept, but...with a sigh he looked over to Hikaru's rooms. He simply didn't know what he was missing out on, that's all. It had now come to this; his child's birth, ironically being born on the same night that the women Hikaru considered her sisters were having their children as well. Curious and worrying about how it was going; Lantis scanned the room Presea was now in, concentrating with Hikaru. Lantis sensed Hikaru, sensed her warmth, her presence, just her. Then, he felt a new presence in the room, a new life. Lantis flashed smile, which was rare unless he was alone with Hikaru; it was just like Hikaru to not scream. Lantis picked himself up, and went over to Hikaru's dorm. As he opened the door, Presea looked around and gasped. "How could you know?" Hikaru simply looked up and smiled at her "husband", offering him the new life. Like his mother, he was silent, yet breathes peacefully; the other children's wails could still be heard. Lantis expected to have a crying baby on his hands, and had anticipated the feeling of awkwardness. Guess it appreciates the silence, like someone we know, Lantis thought wryly to himself. As Presea left the room, Lantis handed back his son to Hikaru, who began to nurse the hungry guy, and Lantis felt a slight twinge of teasing envy of his son's first lunch. Hikaru looked up at the man she loved, and leaned back.  
  
"That was the hardest thing I had to do." Looking down, she added, "Yet at the same time, one of the most enjoyable." Hikaru looked up and shook her head, smiling broadly. "I tell you, there were times that I thought I was going to lose it."  
  
Lantis returned the smile, "You? Never, you would never let anyone see you in pain."  
  
Hikaru merely continued to smile before looking lovingly at her son. "You do know, we are going to have to give this guy a name...well, he will have my last name, I think it's only fair if you get to give him his first."  
  
Lantis, no longer smiling, looked on both Hikaru and his son He then replied without hesitation, "With your permission, I would like us to call him Zagato."  
  
Hikaru looked quizzically at Lantis. "Why?" Lantis had thought about the name, were it a boy, for a long time, and he already had his explanation panned out.  
  
"I want our son to be a responsible man, and to help guide him along those lines, I will give him the name of a man, who, despite me being very close to, I readily admit let his emotions get the best of him, cloud his reason. If he is like my brother before his illegal passion, then people might remember the man Zagato as an honorable person again, rather than the man who almost single handedly brought down Cephiro's destruction along with his Princess."  
  
Hikaru lowered her head; how could she possibly refuse? She looked at her son, now content with his meal and began his first nap... "Zagato..."  
  
On another world, a man was with a boy of seven years. He was going over his lessons again. The man looked on the boy, with a smirk; the heir- apparent of Tartor, son of Overlord Zenglish Conquer of the Land of 9 Provinces. He didn't look much, but perhaps looks were deceiving. "Do you, know, little prince, how Tartor, the greatest land in this universe, is founded on? Do you know what supports it, what keeps us in power?"  
  
The young boy shook his head. The teacher smiled; he enjoyed breaking the 'news' to the young. "Slavery." If he expected a big gasp of shock, he was disappointed, yet at the same time not. "The slaves man the machines here that supply us with power, they field the crops, and they serve you at dinner. Slavery is the driving force in this nation. But despite their importance, we must crush them; make them feel insignificant, like they are unable to do anything on their own."  
  
The boy looked quizzically at his teacher. "But teacher, if the slaves are important, should we not treat them better, to make them more, content?"  
  
The teacher, who expected this answer, nodded his head. "Yes, that might work in theory, but in reality, that does nothing accept cause trouble. Oh, sure, you get the odd slave who is content with what he gets, and is grateful, but slaves for the most part, once content, think of freedom, and ways to achieve that. Yes, they would have thought of that anyway, but this way, they can think of it, all they want, because under the Slave System..."  
  
The boy, suddenly aware, smiled and interrupted cruelly, "Under this system, they have no spirit."  
  
The teacher looked down at his charge, smiling suddenly. Yes, looks were very deceiving. "That is correct, young prince. Destroy the spirit within, and you limit anything the body could ever do...break the spirit, and the slaves would never dare think of revolting against you again, my lord Zengla..." 


	2. Ch 1: Vengeance takes Root

Ch. 1  
  
Vengeance takes root  
  
In Autozam, a large fat man, by the name of Tello, was enjoying his meal. Despite the anti-slavery laws in Autozam, Tello was able to get his "unpaid servants" into the country with little difficulty. He looked around, marveling at his own cleverness and connections. As if he had stumbled upon something that was always a right of his, never to be taken away from him. With a signal he sent his slaves away to their barracks, he grabbed a beaker of wine and drunk it down; actually, only some of it went into his mouth, while the rest dribbled down his chin. As he picked up a piece of meat, something landed silently behind him. Tello was to busy eating alone, as the man crept up behind him.  
  
Tello still had no idea that there was someone creeping up on him, when he turned around and faced the point of a sword. He looked up in fear, as he was a coward at heart. The man he saw wore a strange type of black armor, one that seemed to blend in with the shadows, yet in the light gave a metallic reflection. A long black cape gave him more of a dramatic appearance, but it was the eyes that captivated Tello; the eyes had no pupils, were solid red, and Tello could swear that they were steaming. Tello visibly gulped. He hadn't held a weapon in years, and there was no way to notify the guards. He was all alone with what he believed to be an assassin.  
  
"Please don't kill me!!" Tello begged. The black knight looked at Tello in pure disgust. He grabbed Tello by the hair, and whispered two words, "Mind Gate".  
  
Tello saw his entire memory flood before him. Everything he ever did since childhood till the present was displayed before him, and he thought that maybe this man was looking at it, too. Tello began to panic; there were certain items in his memory that he promised to some very powerful people never to reveal.  
  
"STOP IT, STOP IT NOW!!!!" Tello bellowed in now pure fear. Suddenly his mind came upon a rather small for her age, yet proportionate, redheaded girl. The black knight gasped a bit, then explored further. What he saw turned his eyes from blood-red rage to icy blue sadness. He saw beatings administered to her by Tello, and the sick smile he got on his face after doing so. He saw her fed next to nothing, food that even rats wouldn't eat. He saw all the attempts to break her spirit, and he saw a man exchange money for her. He then heard the name, "Overlord Zengla" from one of the attendants. Then he heard Tello offer advice about how to break this girl. Finally, the memory flood stopped; the black knight had seen enough. He looked at Tello, whimpering in fear. The eyes suddenly returned to their blood fury state, and he raised his sword over his head, completely unaware of his victim's screams..  
  
The black knight lingered for a moment, recognizing something on Tello's unmoving chest. He bent over and unlocked a small locket-like mirror from Tello's neck. He gazed upon it in sadness. Slipping it into a compartment, he heard banging on the door. It was the Autozam law enforcement, trying to discover what all the noise that was frightening Tello's neighbors was about. The black knight took another look at his victim in disgust, and left the way he came. When the Autozam police arrived, all they saw was a fat man on the floor, clutching at his blood stained tunic and at his heart...or rather, as they discovered upon looking at a tray on Tello's belly, were his heart should have been!  
  
18 years earlier.  
  
Strange, how on such a beautiful day in Cephiro, there would be such great sadness in the castle. Hikaru, who had just given birth to her third child, a daughter, was dying due to pregnancy complications. Or at least, that was the official theory. What everyone else suspected was that she couldn't go on without her Lantis. Everyone had been amazed that she had the strength to get to yet another pregnancy, let alone actually go through with it. Everyone knew that she had been badly affected by Lantis' demise. When they were on that picnic, merely two months ago, the children were playing when a monster came upon them with terrifying fire-breath. There was no time to cast a spell or attack, but Lantis rushed in, and sprang in front of the monster and the children. The burns were fatal; he died a week later, in much the same condition as Hikaru, albeit a little more burnt. She managed to comfort her child to sleep, and sit up in bed, looking at all her comrades and friends. No words needed to be spoken; they all spoke through their hearts. Her gaze turned to a young couple, her first two children and sons, Zagato and Lintas Shidou.  
  
"Z-Zagato, Lintas, I want you to do something for me." She looked lovingly into her 10 and 8 year old children. I want you to forgive me for being selfish, for not being able to go on, for causing you to lose two parents in the same year at different times, so the pain can be twice as great, she thought bitterly. "I'm going on a trip soon, and I want you to two things: One, I want you to help Presea with Eagle. He still hasn't recovered from that coma of his. I had always wanted to see him awake again, but that isn't to be."  
  
She shuddered, knowing that the end was near. Umi Ryuuzaki and Fuu Hououji, the two she was always closest too, her fellow Magic Knights, looked on in worriment, tears staining their eyes.  
  
Zagato, as the eldest, felt it was his responsibility to go on. "What else, Mother?" Hikaru felt her strength leave her body, and that she had few precious moments left. Who was that in the darkness?  
  
"Please." Lantis? Her beloved Lantis? "Take care of your sister; always take care of your sister."  
  
With one last gasp she died. Lintas slowly started to bawl, trying to keep his tears from falling. Everyone else in the room caught on, and all were wet eyed.all that is, except Zagato. He wanted to cry, he wanted to let it all out, and he knew there would be no shame in the tears, but he held them back anyway. His father and now his mother both made him promise to be strong, and he would be strong. He would comply with his parent's wishes no matter what.  
  
16 years after.  
  
And he believed he had, as far as he was concerned. Eagle was still on his slow recovery, and his sister, Kila, became the innocent, splitting image of her mother. Kila was the castle pet, and everyone looked after her; not spoiler her, necessarily, but one couldn't deny, even she, that she didn't have anything a girl could possibly need. She wore the mirror of Lantis at her neck, and within her rooms she kept the gauntlet of the Red Knight of Fire, which for some reason worried Clef and his chosen successor, Ascon the son of Ascot and Umi, because that meant there was someone else worthy of donning the Rune-God Rayearth, someone with a heart to match Hikaru's. Zagato didn't give it much thought; he was content that his sister had something, anything, to have to remind her of the mother she never knew. Meanwhile, both he and his brother continued they're training to become magic swordsmen like their father. The lack of wars made a lack of soldiers, and under Lafarga, Captain of the Guard, it took a great deal of Cephiro's scant military power to patrol the forests and clear them of monsters, as well as protect the castle, as if that was needed. Zagato was also able to admit to himself, though Lintas was not, trained like this as personal punishment for what happened to their father. Both had ceased to go under the illusion that it was somehow their fault. But the stinging pain of guilt remained; this drove them both to follow in their father's footsteps.  
  
Lintas, however, took his occupation and training as Cephiro's protector more seriously then Zagato, who was convinced that merely conveying Kila's safety was enough to successfully perform his duty, and that everyone else was just an annoying extra. Though Zagato was quite the looker, he shunned any woman that tried to entice him. His eyes were all for his sister, and he was devoted to her, as any big brother would be. Actually, that would be a less then honest self-evaluation of Zagato, for in reality any blind fool could tell that the looks he gave to Princess Emera, daughter of Ferio and Fuu the King and Queen of Cephiro, were more then just those offered to those of higher station...  
  
His schoolmaster took down Zengla to the dungeon. The harsh master was able to convince the weakening Overlord that his son must administer punishment to the slave who attempted to escape. When Zengla looked at him, he gasped. The man was covered with blood, yet he had a defiant look in his eye; his spirit was still strong. His mocking glare forced Zengla to take a step back. He looked at his schoolmaster pleadingly, who merely scoffed at the boy and tossed him a whip. A message told to Zengla long ago suddenly came to mind,  
  
"Destroy the spirit within, and you limit what the body can ever do..." With a cruel smile, Zengla raised the whip over his head, and took an animal-like pleasure in hearing it crack across a naked back, growled low as he heard the cry of pain. The schoolmaster laughed inside, as he was taking this student, and molding him to be the perfect ruler. Zengla's sick smile became a laugh; as he raised the whip again, he began to think of how you could easily get used to this. 


	3. Ch 2: Love is Silly

Ch. 2  
  
Love is Silly  
  
The black knight walked over to where a ship was waiting. A man with silver hair and fair complexion was waiting for him.  
  
"Did you find what you needed to know?" The knight merely nodded. "So where are we going?" He finally asked after they both made it to the cockpit.  
  
"Tartor."  
  
The silver- haired man took a sharp intake; Tartor was a cruel world that he had always been taught to avoid at all costs. "Are you sure about that?" The black knight remained completely silent. "Very well," replied his companion in slightly annoyed voice, "But I am going to remind you one more time that you are an outlaw, wanted by the League for murder, treachery, and the willful endangerment of other's lives. I can only transport you under the feigned excuse of not knowing; I cannot help you."  
  
The black knight just lent back and looked to the roof of the ship. His thoughts began to dwell on how he got here, on how all this had happened. "Just shut up and drive, Eagle..."  
  
Ho! You weren't expecting that shit, were you? Sorry, I just had to gloat. Anyway, back to the reason you are here  
  
2 years earlier.  
  
Tello couldn't believe this, how he was, for all practical purposes, demoted to merely being a slave catcher. Yet the work was important, he had to admit that; slaves were becoming increasingly hard to find, and the Overlord and recently instituted this program on their four neighbors: Cephiro, Chizeta, Fharan, and Autozam. The purpose; to capture those of the populous secretly, never to take someone important, or well known throughout the land; that would be too dangerous, and Tartor was not yet strong enough to survive a war on four fronts...not yet anyway. The trouble was, this was also dangerous work, and whenever there was Tello, you could count on one thing; that he was going to be a few steps behind you all the way. And in Cephiro, where one's will determine all, that is especially dangerous. One of his slaves from another village then the one he was at currently stationed at left to get water, as was her duty. Tello looked at her in agitation and slapped her on the back of the head.  
  
"Wench! You did not ask for the privilege of performing your duties!" The girl shrunk back in fear; she was one of the first 50 that Tello had acquired, and she was perhaps the most affected. When she didn't immediately respond, Tello snarled and raised his hand again, when he looked up in horror; coming towards his slave and he was a monster!! The thing looked like a large wolf, but had hair extending out too far, and was almost twice as high as a man. It sprang towards them, and both screamed, throwing their hands up for whatever meager protection it offered.  
  
When Tello finally got the courage to open his eyes seconds later, he saw the monster's body slit in half, and a tall, dark-haired armored man armed with a curved sword was standing where the monster and previously been. He turned around and sheathed his sword.  
  
"Are you alright, ma'am, sir?"  
  
Tello looked at the muscular man with a twinge of envy, and answered harshly, "We are fine, thank you."  
  
The strange man looked at Tello, nodded, then at the girl, and whispered sweetly, as she was only 16, and how about you, honey? Are you okay?" The girl, who for the past 5 months had been treated like a dog, like a slave, had forgotten what it was like to have someone talk civilly to her, as if she was a human being.  
  
"I said that we were FINE!" shouted Tello at the top of his lungs. He was scared now; if this woman talked, he was dead, for of all the anti-slavery worlds, Cephiro was the strictest when it came to dealing with them.  
  
The man looked at the man in cool contempt, sensing the cowardice within.  
  
"I think that she, sir, would be the better judge as to whether or not she is okay. I am also curious as to why you are even with her; you do not look like her, so you cannot be a relative, nor can you be her lover, as you are far too old to be so to any woman her age."  
His sharp eyes suddenly noticed the bruises on her arms from rough grabbing, and with a half-knowing, evil smile, he slid his hand partially up her back shirt, feeling the scars beneath... "Yes, far too old to be anything else to her, accept." He set the girl on her feet, and looked at her. "Do you want to tell me what is going on?" The girl shook her head violently, much to the relief of Tello, who laughed inside; that one was broken, so the knight was wasting his time if he thought he was going to get any information out of her.  
"Very well, young woman; I sense a great deal of fear from you, so with your permission." He placed his hand on her forehead, holding it gently but firmly. "This might hurt a little bit," he warned her. "MIND GATE!!" The girl felt a slight twinge of pain as she literally felt all her memories up to this point being opened; her childhood, her abduction, her beatings, her 'meals'... The man had seen enough. He let her go, and spun wildly on the short, fat Tello.  
  
"We have laws about slavery, 'Slavemaster Tello'. About the only smart thing you have done was keep who you were working for anonymous. Yes, don't act so surprised that I would know of an accomplice, because you are too much a coward to have the genitals to pull a move by yourself willingly." With that, he turned to the house.  
  
"Lightning Bolt Onslaught!" Lightning reigned from the sky, destroying Tello's assumed residence. He walked over to a cellar door, opened it, and propped in. Tello looked around fearfully, and began to run, when he saw himself at the point of another sword, this one straight...and wielded by the SAME MAN!!! Tello nearly feinted from fright, and looked over confused, to see the man who currently held him at sword point helping up his slaves! With a command to wait, he walked over to Tello, who was now between two nearly identical men. He looked back and forth in confusion, wondering what was going on.  
  
"Well, Lt. Lintas, what is it that you caught today?" The man with the straight sword bent his head slightly to hide his smile.  
  
"I, Lt. Zagato? Why, I caught a man who tried to escape your custody, Brother."  
  
Zagato flashed a rare smile; this may have been mean, but what the hell, it was fun, and it wasn't like this jerk didn't deserve it.  
  
"We have laws against that, too, Slavemaster Tello. I wonder what King Ferio would think of this,"  
  
"Yes," stated Lintas, who also knew the game and also liked to play it,  
  
"He has a daughter, you know. I wonder what he would think if he imagined it was his she in that position."  
  
"Of course, his wife was a prisoner once as well..."  
  
"And if we know Aunt Fuu, she'll get into Uncle Ferio's ear about this."  
  
Tello went to his knees, breaking down completely at this point. "Spare me, please!!! I beg of you! Let me go, I'll never do it again!"  
  
He suddenly found himself picked up by the throat, looking square in the eyes of the one called Zagato, who seemed suddenly angry.  
  
"Spare you? Spare you? Why should I do that? If we let you go, then who's to say you wouldn't do it again?"  
  
Tello at this point had tears in his eyes, "I'll go away, and I will never come back!!"  
  
Zagato looked at him in disgust, and threw him to the ground. "So be it. I give you four days to leave. After that, if you are still in Cephiro, I will hunt you down, and I will kill you." He quietly walked away, then turned back, and glanced at his brother. "I leave the, 'merchandise', in your hands, Brother." Zagato headed back toward the palace, Lintas started to lead the slaves to a re-finder facility, and Tello glanced at Zagato with hatred, but content that the spy- der he planted on Zagato that Tartor had stolen from Autozam would be enough to give him the opportunity of revenge...  
  
A young boy of 16 with shoulder length blonde hair was practicing with a sword when he heard the grass give behind him. He turned around, seeing a young girl, who looked shorter then she was, with red hair and wearing red outfit.  
  
She smiled at him, "Good morning, Calarga."  
  
The young man, Calarga, looked down upon her, preparing for his favorite joke to play on her, "Why, Kila, I'm sorry, I didn't see you coming."  
  
With a cry and a laugh, Kila play-acted offence, pretending that the slap she sent his way, which was easily avoidable, was a lot more serious then it ended up being. The two looked into each other's eyes for a minute. "So," Kila finally asked, "What is the son of the great swordsmaster doing out here, practicing with his prick-sticker, when he should be playing with his childhood friend?"  
  
Calarga smiled, and picked up the blade in her sight; out of it, he produced another sword, this one lighter, meant to be wielded by females...  
  
"Trying to placate the great swordsmaster for walking in when he and mother were slightly," Calarga looked for the right words so as to not ruin Kila's innocence."Busy, shall we say?"  
  
Calarga suddenly tossed his extra sword to Kila, who caught it as if she'd handled a blade for her years. Calarga brought his sword down, but Kila expertly caught it on her own blade. They began to fence, often switching styles so as to confuse the other. Then Kila did a trick that Calarga had never even heard of, much less seen. Kila tossed her sword handle up at him; while he swerved back on instinct to avoid the blade, Kila grabbed his sword arm, twisted it, and held the blade two inches from his stomach. Calarga was caught completely unawares. She smiled at him and let go of his arm. Calarga shook it out and looked at the young woman in disbelief.  
  
"You do realize, of course, that I am going to have to insist on you teaching me that," Calarga said. "Say, tomorrow, at noon sharp, on a picnic?" Kila glanced up shyly at him, and it seemed to the two that there were only them in the entire world...  
  
"You might find later in the afternoon to be a better time, young Calarga."  
  
Both nearly jumped at the new voice, though Kila recognized it, and with a cry of joy, ran into the waiting arms of her eldest brother. Calarga smiled in spite of himself, knowing full well that now he and Kila wouldn't be able to see each other for at least a week. By Pillar, that man was over- protective! He lost his smile when he noticed a glare from Zagato hurled a glare at him. Kila looked up at her brother, oblivious to the stare he shot at Calarga.  
  
"Zagato!! Why don't you come with us?"  
  
At that, Calarga nearly burst out laughing. The idea that Zagato would do anything social that was not formal...it wasn't that he was a cold man, just a solid one. He had feelings for everyone in the castle, some more then others, but he had a big time expressing them in an un-awkward way, accept with Kila. Zagato looked at her with a gloomy look, and Kila bent her head down in sadness. Calarga anticipated the speech Zagato was going to give about why neither he nor she would be able to go on the picnic.  
  
"Zagato won't be able to come, because he will be busy tonight and tomorrow for the banquet."  
  
A gruff voice came behind. Calarga and Zagato looked at the direction, recognizing it instantly. There stood the armed and armored Lafarga, Captain of the Guard. It was the person behind him, however, that Kila took interest to.  
  
"Lintas!!!" She screamed, tearing herself from Zagato's hold and rushing into the waiting arms of her other brother. Lafarga smiled sadly at Kila; like her mother, she acted as if she were half of her age when she was happy.  
  
"Calarga," he called.  
  
"Yes, Father?"  
  
"I wish for you and Kila to take your plans someplace else; my lieutenants and I have matters to discuss."  
  
Zagato shot a fierce glance at Lafarga, while Kila and Calarga, who sensed a new opportunity, dashed away as fast as they could.  
  
"Kids, they grow up to fast, hey Cap?" smiled Lintas.  
  
Lafarga smiled back at Lintas, care free Lintas, perhaps the only man in Cephiro who could get away with calling Lafarga that. "Yes, and when they aren't busy growing up, they are busy making you feel old."  
  
Lintas shot back, "You? Old? Ha, that's a laugh. You couldn't grow old if the Creator came and changed you himself." Lafarga smiled, than looked at Zagato, who now stood face to face with the two.  
  
"Captain Lafarga, why did you allow them to.?"  
  
Lafarga merely held a hand up. "I allowed them to be 16 years old, Zagato, nothing else."  
  
Zagato looked at the direction that the young pair and ran of towards. "They are far too young to be."  
  
"Oh come of it, Zagato!" Lintas cried out. "Just come out and say it; one of them looks too much like our little Kila, that's the only problem you have with it. That's the only problem I have with it, too." Lintas finished.  
  
As they began to walk toward the palace to discuss matters of security with King Ferio, Lintas continued, "You can't always protect Kila, Zagato. You can't always keep her as a child."  
  
"Watch me." Zagato simply stated.  
  
Lafarga shook his head, how was it possible for these two to be so close and so different at the same time? Yes, both were strikingly similar and handsome, roughly the same height, and both were deadly with any type of sword, and both were incredibly skilled in the magic arts, but that is where all similarities end. Zagato was strict, disciplined and really saw all emotions that are publicized as silly. Oh, yeah, he was also fiercely protective of his sister. Lintas, too, was protective, but not in any way that went to borderline imprisonment. He was carefree and easy going, who genuinely liked to protect people, though his lack of discipline made him un-leader like. Lintas was a warrior straight out of a fairy tale, while Zagato was one who was straight out of Lafarga's playbook. And yet, strangely, when it came to personal choice, he had no preferences. He would trust either man with his life at any given time, or anyone else's life for that manner.  
  
"You shouldn't attempt the impossible, Zagato. Even were you able to 'will' her as 16 years old forever, you would never be able to keep love from blossoming..." Lafarga immediately regretted those words.  
  
"Love? She is too young to know what real love is, as is your son, Lafarga." Lafarga suddenly straighten up at this.  
  
"Are you saying that my son is not a worthy match for your sister?"  
  
Zagato chose his next words very carefully. "No, Lafarga; of all the available men, Calarga is the one I most approve of. It's just that, I'd really rather Kila not have anybody."  
  
Lintas laughed at that comment. "Thank Pillar that the Creator never put you in charge of which emotions to give to the worlds, Zagato, otherwise love might run the risk of never being around!"  
  
Zagato rolled his eyes. "Love. Love is the silliest thing I have ever known. It can take a man, and make him change his mind about his values, his priorities, and his duties."  
  
Lafarga coughed a bit. "Speaking from experience, I think that love is the single most beautiful thing ever made."  
  
Zagato looked at Lafarga with a wry grin in his eyes. "So, the warrior becomes a poet, neh? Yes, Lafarga, you have love, and look where it got you; running around, being dragged on a leash by Caldina. No thank you, I think I can live without that."  
  
Lintas sighed and looked up, seeing someone on the balcony; a young woman with waist length, beautiful blonde hair and a green dress, her eyes boring into one man.  
  
"So, Zagato," he said, tilting his head in their watcher's direction. "You think love is the silliest thing to happen to man?"  
  
Zagato turned to his brother, looked in the direction his head pointed to, and stopped. Lafarga and Lintas exchanged knowing glances, while Zagato stood, looking at the woman who was Princess Emera, their eyes, which told the story neither could admit, locked in a loving embrace.  
  
"Yes," said Zagato, in a voice barely above a whisper, "Love is completely silly..."  
  
Lafarga glanced at Lintas, who was fighting a losing battle to stifle back his laughter. Grabbing the younger brother by the shoulder, Lafarga turned back at Zagato.  
  
"When you are done, *ahem*, sight-seeing, Zagato, we will be in the security room." With that, Lafarga led Lintas away, who was on the brink of explosion. Zagato and Emera, oblivious to the two that just walked away, bore into each other. For what seemed like an eternity, the two merely gazed at the other, relishing in the silence, things they would like to do with the other (And believe it or not, a good many of them where with clothes on, though not all, of course). Of course, the moment could not last, and a voice calling Zagato broke him from the spell. He looked over to see Lafarga waving him towards him. Zagato sighed, looked around, and saw a white rose. He picked it up, and with a word, used a small, barely powerful enough lightning bolt to send it up to the princess. She caught it, and with tears forming in her eyes, she turned away. Zagato looked down, sighed, cursed himself as a damned fool, and walked away...  
  
In another village, Tello looked at the spy-der feedback, a plan of vengeance already forming in his head. Yes, it would be breaking a few rules, because the woman was well known, but what the hell, that never stopped him before...besides, it would pay that Zagato back, in a way in which he could never retaliate... 


	4. Ch 3: Blossom of Love, Blossom of hate

Ch. 2  
  
Blossom of Love, Blossom of Hate  
  
Kila was trying to slip her red dress on, but was having all sorts of problems. Her brothers offered to help her, but Kila felt that she might be a tad bit uncomfortable in that kind of situation and besides, she was still angry at Zagato. Speaking of Zagato, he began to become impatient; she had been in her room for over an hour, and the party was to start any minute. It was important that everyone be here, as representatives from Chizeta, Autozam, and Farhen were also invited. Zagato, who had broken the bad news that morning that she wasn't going on the picnic today, knew that he would for the time being be on Kila's bad side, wouldn't be able to get within ten feet of her. He looked around for anyone, and saw his savior..  
  
"Aunt Umi," he began, regretting the choice of words. But he knew no other way to address Umi, she had always been, "Aunt Umi" since he was born, and any other title would have screamed against his habit. Of course, "Aunt Umi" thought that it was cute that the traditional one in the castle would still be calling her by her pet name for her friends' children.  
  
"Kila mad at you again?"  
  
Zagato simply coughed and stated-matter-of-factly; "She needs to get down here. For the love of Pillar, she's been there over an hour now!"  
  
Umi sighed and shook her head. "Well I'll go see what you did to her this time."  
  
Zagato chuckled dryly, "Gee, thanks a lot, you make me feel like a success as an older brother."  
  
Umi laughed sweetly and said, "If I don't tell you what you are doing wrong, then who will?"  
  
Zagato didn't smile, but his eyes twinkled in something that suggested a smile. "Good point." Umi bowed her head politely, and left to find Kila.  
  
Ascot, who had been talking to his "wife", now faced Zagato. "Okay boy, what did you do now?" Zagato just looked down on Ascot.  
  
"Nothing, Uncle Ascot, just a sibling dispute." With a bow, he turned and went over to Lintas, when he overheard a conversation that at first made him drop a cold sweat; King Ferio talking to one of the Representatives from Autozam.  
  
"I'm telling you Ferio. The President's son and your daughter would be a perfect match for each other, and it would help strengthen ties that."  
  
"Have really no need to be any stronger," Ferio stated bluntly.  
  
The Ambassador was confused at this response. "Come again?" Ferio looked down at this punitive man, and saw the sniveling politician underneath.  
  
"There hasn't been an arranged marriage in thousands of years, Ambassador. Furthermore, I think that the President has enough ties with us in that we are caring for his brother; furthermore, my daughter also happens to be seeing someone."  
  
"And who the lucky man might be, may I ask?" replied the Ambassador, upset that his first suggestion that was approved in Autozam by the higher-ups was shot down in Cephiro.  
  
"To tell the truth, I don't know, but I do know she is seeing someone; call it a parental guess. Now please, enjoy yourself, Ambassador." Ferio finished, and left to look for his queen, Fuu.  
  
Zagato, who heard the entire conversation, wondered what I'm was so upset about, he thought, it isn't like I have any special attachment to the princess beyond protection..oh, sweet Pillar, she's looking at me. Control, Zagato, control, you can't do this in public; Lintas would never let you here the end of it. Come on, fight this emotion, fight it..fighting...fighting...fighting...loosing..loosing...lost. "Princess Emera?"  
  
She had looked down when he had approached; now looking up, she had no choice but to face the man she cared about more then anyone else. "Yes, Lt. Zagato?"  
  
Zagato paused for an awkward moment; smooth, Zagato, real smooth. Nothing at all to say, no important thing to ask to make it appear casual.. the sudden playing of the band and a call to the dance floor saved him. "May I have the honor of this dance?" He asked with a courtly bow, holding out his hand.  
  
She hesitated for a bit, placed her hand into his, and said, "The honor is mine." As they walked on, Zagato saw Fuu, who merely smiled and nodded her head; Zagato glanced at the band, understood, and with after mouthing the words, "Thank you," to Fuu, he focused his attention to someone who was much closer.  
  
"So, my queen, what caused you to strike the band so early?" Asked Ferio with a smile. Fuu blushed like she always did before a conversation with her beloved.  
  
"Helping two uncomfortable lovebirds on the right path," she said, nodding to her daughter and her courtier.  
  
Ferio understood, but decided to have a little fun with her. "What? You're uncomfortable? Have I said something to upset you, or maybe cause you pain? If so, miladies, please, do not hesitate to tell me so."  
  
Fuu giggled (one of the few not lady-like characteristics that she retained; she found it un-dignifying, he found it cute.) and pushed him away. "Get off, Ferio; you know exactly who I am talking about."  
  
Ferio smiled back at his love and basked in her glory. "What, can't a king have fun with his queen?"  
  
Fuu decided it was his turn to blush, so she leaned up real close and whispered in his ear, "Not in public." Seeing him turn crimson at this uncharacteristic behavior, Fuu wrapped her arm around her Ferio.  
  
"So Fuu," Ferio asked when he had regained composure, "When do you think the big oaf will get the guts to ask her out formally?"  
  
Fuu smiled as the two looked at their daughter and her (from what they could see) consort-to-be. "Not much longer," Fuu stated. "They've been trying to keep away from each other for months; this is the first time they've been in close contact."  
  
"Good," Ferio simply stated. "It would be good for the man to get some love in his life, ever since his pare-well, ever since the accident, he has been a real sour-puss, except on occasion." Fuu nodded. She agreed, this would be good for Zagato, but she secretly admitted that she was doing it for Kila as well. That poor girl could rarely get five feet from the castle without Zagato either following her or magically sensing her. It would be healthy for both of them for Zagato to have a relationship, she thought with a glance at Calarga, as it would give Kila the chance to have hers..  
  
Umi knocked on the door to the large room. "May I come in?" she asked sweetly, then opened the door.  
  
Kila was looking at her locket-mirror, when she looked up at Umi. "Aunt Umi! I'm sorry, did I drift off? Am I late to the party?"  
  
Umi just laughed her tender laugh. "No, your okay, Zagato just wanted me to check up on you." Umi then noticed for the first time that Kila's eyes were red. "What's wrong, Kila?"  
  
Kila looked like she was going to have a break down. "Nothing Aunt Umi, I'm fine, really, I just drifted off, and that's all."  
  
Umi glanced at her sideways. "You have many common traits with your mother; unfortunately for you in this instance, you both are completely unreliable when someone asks if you are alright." Kila held back the tears that felt like they were going to fall any moment.  
  
"Zagato.why is he so mean? All I wanted to do is go on a picnic with Calarga, but no, Zagato has to ruin everything when I want to do anything! Sometimes I think of him more like a father then as a brother!"  
  
Umi smiled, "Well, Zagato does remind me a lot of your real father, but I would have to doubt that he'd keep this much a tab on you."  
  
Kila looked at Umi in frustration. "Then why is Zagato doing this, Umi? Why can't he just let me grow up?"  
  
Umi thought of the right words to be using that wouldn't include taking the crap out of Zagato. "Zagato, for some reason or another, feels that he has a personal responsibility to you, and that you are his charge. If he can't confirm that you are okay, then he feels like a failure." With a hug, she added, "He just wants to make sure that you will be happy." Umi tightened her dress for her, and then fixed her medallion-mirror around her neck. "Now let's go down there and have a good time, shall we?" Kila dried her eyes and looked lovingly at her mother's best friend.  
  
"Thanks, Aunt Umi."  
  
The party went by pretty uneventful; as Umi and Kila got down to partake in the last dance with Ascot and Calarga, respectively. Fuu and Ferio danced as well, as did Zagato and Emera, Caldina and Lafarga, and all the other couples. Master Mage Clef managed to avoid the festivities, but Ascon was unable to resist dancing with his mother, breaking many cardinal rules about master mages being separated from others. After a while they headed to the dinner table. Strangely, Zagato, Lintas, and Lafarga were also invited to the feast, when they should have been on guard duty. When they were all through eating, however, the reason was made clear by an announcement from Lafarga.  
  
"My good people, as you know, I am not one for extended speeches. I'll get straight to the point. For well over 50 years I have given my life to the Captain of the Guard-ship, and protected the royal family. Now, I fear that within five months, it will be time for me to retire."  
  
Amidst the gasps and whispers, Zagato looked at Lintas; if he was retiring, then that would mean..  
  
"Further more, with the permission of Lord Ferio, I'd like to name the man who will replace me in five months.Lieutenant Zagato of the Dragon Lance division." There was applause, making Zagato feel, silly. He looked around, and saw both Kila's and Emera's eyes; all for their future Captain..maybe feeling silly wasn't so bad after all.  
  
"As for his replacement, I think that he can make a more than suitable one."  
  
After the party, and most of the guests had gone home or to their rooms, Zagato took Lafarga aside. "Hmm, Captain, I wish to thank you for the honor you have bestowed on me." Lafarga smiled.  
  
"It was nothing." He noticed a figure walking away, and decided to play a little fun. "Well, not like it was much of a choice, I mean, it was either you or Lintas.."  
  
"Hoho, aho, oh, that was rich, old man." Lintas turned around, trying to feign anger, but not succeeding. "So, Z, who are you going to name as your replacement?"  
  
Zagato had no idea. "I think I'll wait a while before I make that judgment. After all," he added, "I'm not the captain yet." He noticed a red figure slip by. "Excuse me for just a second," he hastily replied as he ran after Kila. "Kila, wait up!" Zagato came up to her, hesitated, and then thought what the hell. "Kila, how would you like to, errm, ah, go on a picnic with Calarga tomorrow?"  
  
Kila looked at Zagato as if he'd had too much to drink. "Alright, who are you and what have you done with my brother?" Zagato smiled.  
  
"Tell your friend that if you aren't home by eleven sharp, I'll have his liver for breakfast."  
  
The next day  
  
Calarga couldn't believe his luck. He was actually going out with Kila and Zagato's consent. After Zagato laid down the law on him, he mumbled an understanding and went off. As the pair walked off, Kila gave Calarga a playful peck on the cheek. As he stood there stunned, Kila pushed him down, giggled, and then ran off. Calarga instinctively rose up and gave chase, neither noticing the figure watching from afar..  
  
Zagato looked on in concern as he saw the pair runoff into the sunrise. He resisted the urge to follow and spy on their every footstep. With every step she took, it felt like a chunk was torn out of his stomach.  
  
"Feels like you're slipping, doesn't it?" Zagato turned at recognition of the voice.  
  
"Aunt Fuu?" The tall Queen of Cephiro came forward and stood beside her adopted 'nephew'.  
  
"Watching her grow up; you can't help but feel that you're slipping from what your parent's intended."  
  
Zagato bowed his head, clenched his fist, and replied, "I promised Father I'd be strong for the family, Mother that I would especially look out for Kila. Now that she is slowly coming into adulthood, I find myself looking back on how I raised her; did I treat her the right way, did I make her cry needlessly, did she feel welcome and not rejected? Cares and worries that should never have been mine to deal with," he sighed and shrugged, "Now I wonder if what I have done is enough."  
  
Fuu smiled at him, wondering in awe how Zagato was almost a mirror image of his parents, two completely different personalities. She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Sometimes the only way to know for sure is to let go."  
  
"And sometimes the only way to be safe is to hold on tighter," Zagato countered. "Be that as it may, I have chosen the former; time will tell if it should have been the latter. With your permission, lady," Zagato continued, taking her hand in his own and brushing it against his lips (causing her to blush) he got up and left.  
  
Calarga could not understand how so small a package could contain so much energy. He and spent almost all the way to the clearing at Kila's heels, all the way listening to her taunts at him to keep up. Strangely, Calarga didn't mind this childish game that at first embarrassed him; he was actually enjoying himself. Finally she got winded, and Calarga made his move and grabbed her by the waist. As they rolled on to the ground, laughing, Calarga's arm brushed against the glove Kila wore, the same glove her mother wore to summon her armor, sword and Mashin. He cried out in pain, holding his arm as if he were burned. Kila cried out as well and tried to grab at his arm to check for wounds.  
  
"It's nothing, really," He tried to reassure her.  
  
"Don't be to sure," Kila said, "My brother Lintas held this thing for awhile, and it scared him badly, he a son of the Pillar." Calarga just smiled and shook his head.  
  
"Look, Kila, I'm fine, really."  
  
"Oh, not for long boy," came a voice to close for comfort. Both looked up to see a short, fat man holding a small silver canister.  
  
Zagato had always hesitated before walking into Eagle's room. It always seemed that he was an intruder, stepping into another man's world. When he first used the spell Mind Gate to communicate with Eagle, the conversation was an awkward one; after all, it's not every day that you tell someone that their best friend and the woman he loved have been dead for 10 years. Though Eagle never said it in the many conversations they had, or anyone else suggest it, Zagato was convinced that Eagle loved Hikaru every bit as much as Lantis, and the feeling equally reciprocated. In spite of his unnerving self-control, Zagato felt odd talking to a man who might have been his father rather than the man who ended up being. And like always, Zagato shook this feeling off. It was ridiculous, this fear of what might have happened. With a cough, he entered and looked at the bed where the silver-haired man slept. Zagato looked down at the man, placed a hand on his head, and whispered the words, "Mind Gate"  
  
Zagato looked around, no longer in his body but in Eagle's mind, right where Eagle was always happiest, aboard the NSX. Zagato 'walked' down the hallway to Eagle's room. He entered, to find Eagle 'eating' his sweets. Eagle smiled at his visitor and offered him the candy. Zagato politely declined. He didn't like sweet things in reality, and though he knew that he would enjoy them in Eagle's mind, due to him experiencing everything from Eagle's point of view, a side affect of Mind Gate.. well, some things are just too weird to get into.  
  
"Well, I finally did it," Zagato announced. Eagle looked at Zagato quizzically. "Finally did what?" "Let Kila on a date."  
  
Eagle chuckled and shook his head. "So you finally got the courage to let her leave your sight for more than five minutes?" Zagato thought the comment silly, but for some reason humorous as well; more of the Mind Gate affects.  
  
"So, how have you been today, Eagle? Any closer to waking up?"  
  
Eagle laughed again, "If by walking up you mean, closer to replenishing my mental energy, then yes, I am closer. But even if I become fully recharged, I don't know if I can even wake up."  
  
Zagato was about to respond to the redundancy of that statement, when a voice broke his thoughts.  
  
"Zagato."  
  
Zagato bolted upright, "Guru Clef?"  
  
"Zagato, you must come now.. it's Kila."  
  
The tone in Clef's voice sent shivers up and down his spine. With a hasty explanation to Eagle, Zagato ended the connection and raced off to the throne room. There he saw Calarga, holding a pack to the back of his head, Zagato's stomach churned when he saw the blood oozing out from Calarga's fingers. Before anyone could stop him, Zagato roughly grabbed Calarga by the shirt and screamed into the delirious boy's face,  
  
"What happened, where is she?"  
  
Calarga only gave a groan and mumbled over and over again,  
  
"He took her.the fat bastard took her.."  
  
"WHO TOOK HER? ANSWER ME!!!!" Zagato screamed, unaware of his King, Queen, Magic Teacher and everyone else that was there. Lafarga immediately stepped in and placed a warning hand on Zagato's shoulder, while Caldina sprang to her son's aid, crying out,  
  
"Can't ya tell that the poor boy can't eve' tell where he's been?"  
  
Zagato glared at the former gypsy dancer, tore from Lafarga's grasp, and grabbed Calarga by the head, resorting to the only thing he had left.  
  
"MIND GATE!!!" Images flashed through his mind: The chase, the burn, the fat man with the canister, spraying something into their eyes, a blow to the back of the head, a woman's scream.who was that fat man.. TELLO. Zagato abruptly ended the connection and ran out. Lintas hesitated for a moment, and then ran after his elder brother. Lafarga went to nearby soldiers and ordered them to arrange a search party.  
  
"We'll tear the Forest of Silence apart, if we have to."  
  
Zagato and Lintas never stopped running until they reached the clearing. A quick look around showed an upturned basket, trampled grass, signs of a struggle, and the imprint of a small, feminine body on the ground a few steps further, and there all signs ceased to exist. Zagato frantically looked around, trying desperately to look for anything that would lead him somewhere in any direction. Trying to look for anything that would deny the big ugly truth that was all to plain. Lintas gasped and pointed at an object lying on the ground; their mother's glove. Zagato bent over to pick it up, but flames seemed to sprout from the jewel, warning him away. Lintas bowed his head and leaned against a tree for support; it was the only thing keeping him on his feet. Zagato sank to his knees in front of the glove; for the first time since his mother's death, he felt powerless.  
  
Then it came.  
  
It started as a word, a simple "No" being said over and over again. Lintas looked up and gasped in horror as it gradually began to pick up in volume and force. Lintas then cringed at the cry that soon followed, its animal-like pitch hurting his ears; it may have been the first scream that Zagato ever made in his life..  
  
Five years ago.  
  
To Zengla, the funeral service was a waist of time. He never spent much time with his father, and believed in the philosophy out with the old and in with the new. He refused to even pretend that he was sorrowful, despite pleas from both his schoolmaster and his father's adviser. As he removed himself to his private chambers, his face retained its impassive features that had been on since the funeral service. After the official coronation tomorrow, he would be Overlord Zengla, his word being law. He would have to choose new Lords over each of the provinces, as he noticed them taking advantage of his father's weakness. He glanced at the custom- made ceiling and laughed at the four pictures of the four countries he planned to add to Tartor: Autozam, Chizeta, Fahren, and Cephiro. Soon, they would be his, soon.but first, he thought as he grabbed a whip, there are a few particular slaves who didn't look sad enough at the funeral; they needed to be put in their place.. 


	5. Ch 4: Waiting is for the Weak

Ch. 4 Waiting is for the Weak  
  
He clenched his fists together tightly; the feeling, that feeling, would never go away, not until he got her back. He turned to his silver- haired companion, "Eagle, how long has it been."  
  
"Since we left Autozam?" Eagle finished for him. "In Cephiro time, three months, with another two before we reach Tartor."  
  
The black knight shook his head. "No, I mean, how long since we started this whole crazy mess?"  
  
Eagle didn't want to say it, but felt that he had an obligation to do so. "In Cephiro time.when we reach Tartor.. it will have been 15 months."  
  
The knight felt like something just exploded in his chest. "She'll be turning 18 this year." He sat back and, having nothing else to do, slept, mentally accounting for all the time that had passed.  
  
It was rather easy to account for those first six months, as there was a frantic searching throughout Cephiro. Due to the emergency situation, Lafarga remained on as Captain of the Guard. Zagato and Lintas, on the other hand, were declared unfit for active duty after three weeks; they spent most of their time moping around, trying to comprehend the reality of the situation, though they knew all too well. That Kila was gone, and most likely never coming back. Zagato was certainly the most visible with his pain; sometimes he couldn't walk five steps without sinking to his knees, his glassy eyes constantly in a dream-like state. Both he and Lintas became quiet, moody, and almost unapproachable. After the three months, the remaining three were spent pining with word from the other countries, as King Ferio humbly requested the aid of their Autozam, Fahren, and Chizeta friends. Those other three months past, and still nothing, no turn-ups, no sightings, not even a glimmer of false hope. Afterwards, though they continued the search, everyone considered it fact that Kila was lost forever; Fuu, Ferio, Emera, Umi, Ascot, Ascon, Clef, even Lintas.everyone, except one person.  
  
Zagato tried desperately to look for a way to occupy his time. No longer on active duty, he tried desperately to find anything that would give him help, even fictional. He read most of the volumes in Crystal Castle's library, but none really helped, as most were historical texts and spells that he had either already mastered or were completely useless to him. In the few dreams he had, he saw Tello, running from him.the joy of catching him, holding him above his head.hearing the delicious sound of a spine snapping above his head.  
  
Clef looked at Zagato in growing concern. Recently he had taken to remaining in Kila's old bedroom. It wasn't healthy, and he and the others often brought Zagato's uncharacteristic behavior in their discussions. They decided that if he couldn't occupy his time properly, than they would do so for him. But no matter what they gave him, chores, books, nothing seemed to help. Finally, Emera couldn't take it anymore. At breakfast one day, she excused herself early and went to Kila's room. She stopped right at the door and hesitated before knocking. She never understood what she saw in him; to her he was too reserved, quiet, and almost too formal. He seemed separated, preferring isolation and normally never making any advances towards people he didn't immediately know, friendly or otherwise. But then she also saw in him strength, dedication, compassion and a desire to support those who couldn't support themselves. And whenever she looked into his eyes, she got a sudden warmth in his loins.  
  
She coughed and walked in. What she saw made her gasp in shock; hair long and unkempt, Zagato seemed like he was withering away. He looked pale, his eyes glazed over from lack of sleep. Sitting on the bed, Zagato twirled his curved sword by the hilt on the floor. He didn't even bother looking up; he had sensed her presence from the outside.  
  
"How may I be of service, Princess?" Zagato asked with a bitterness he did not feel.not towards the Princess anyway.  
  
Emera was slightly taken aback from this cool, almost mocking formality, but knowing it to be abnormal behavior from Zagato, merely strengthened her convictions.  
  
"You may serve me by stopping this pinning and fretting and doing something!"  
  
Zagato laughed and looked up; it was a cruel, stinging laugh. "And what would you have me do, Emera?" he stated as he rose to his legs, the royal title purposely dropped from his speech. "I've read virtually every written document in the palace; thanks to a decree by your parents and my commander, I can not travel outside the castle grounds in addition to not being able to perform my duties as an officer in the Inner Guard, so what would you have me do?"  
  
Emera flushed and assumed her mother's tone; "If you insist on being blunt, then I shall as well. Get over it! I know what I am saying sounds terribly cruel and uncaring, but I don't know how else to say to you what has been said virtually every other way. Kila is gone, accept it."  
  
Zagato sighed and decided to give in. In the three conversations he had with Eagle, he was told as much, as had everyone else he had spoken to on the subject, even his own brother.  
  
"Perhaps you are right."  
  
Emera stood shocked; she expected radical behavior from Zagato, but never submissive. That was just too much unlike Zagato. Noticing the disbelieving look, he smiled sadly.  
  
"There is nothing I can do. Everyone has told me as such, even Eagle, who knows noth-." At that point Zagato stopped. His glazed eyes seemed to shine with a brand new fire. "Eagle." he immediately rushed out of the room, stopped at the door, turned around and gave Emera a swift kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Thank you," he whispered genuinely, and stormed off, leaving Emera touching her cheek, and whispering reverently, longingly, at the man she loved.  
  
"Zagato.."  
  
Had they been in Mind Gate connection rather then through Eagle's telepathy, Eagle would have shaken his head. "Zagato, I'm telling you that I don't know anything about Cephiro's legends beyond what your father told me."  
  
Zagato waited patiently; he had purposely chosen not to use Mind Gate for this conversation, and he could feel Eagle beginning to crack. "Eagle, from what I understand, my father was incredibly, almost suggestively, open to you."  
  
Eagle mentally coughed; he was well aware of the rumors that his relationship with Lantis was something more than platonic.  
  
"Furthermore, Eagle, I can sense that you are hiding something from me. That was always your one big flaw, that you could never hide anything for long from anybody."  
  
Eagle hushed his 'voice', and 'spoke' in a slow whisper, "He did tell me of something, something that could possibly help you, but that depends on what you want."  
  
Zagato spoke with almost no hesitation, "I want Kila back, and revenge."  
  
Eagle shuddered at the coldness in Zagato's voice. "Vengeance isn't like you at all, Zagato."  
  
"People change."  
  
Eagle gave a sigh, simultaneously to his decision to give in. "If vengeance is truly your goal, then I do know something. Your father often spoke of legends in the shadowy area of Cephiro's past."  
  
Eagle fell silent, and Zagato waited for him to continue. When it became obvious that Eagle said all he intended to say, Zagato blurted out, "That's it?"  
  
"I have already said too much, I fear."  
  
Zagato angrily turned heel and stormed out. He never stopped walking until he felt part of the anger pass. He looked around to see where he was, and saw himself in front of the study. Slowly, as if drawn by some other power, he walked in, glancing at the books. He had been here hundreds of times; what did he expect to find different? As he glanced at all the titles, one in particular caught his eye, one he never noticed before; a rather lengthy volume entitled The Dark Legends of Cephiro. Zagato stared at it curiously, wondering if this is what Eagle was talking about. Not knowing what else to do, he sat down and began to read.  
  
For the next three hours, he read of all the evil beings and powerful monsters in Cephiro's supposed past; Master Mage Klent, who in his madness tried to destroy the Pillar, Relgada, who attempted to incite a war between Autozam and Cephiro to give himself a sense of purpose. Oh Pillar, thought Zagato, what am I doing here? He skimmed through a few more chapters, and decided to go to Eagle and give him an earful for wasting his time when the title of the next chapter caught his eye. He sat down at a nearby table and resumed his reading, absorbing every word of the chapter. His eyes grew wide only to grow wider with each passing word. As he read his hopes soared; a realization brought him down towards the end of the chapter.  
  
'It is impossible; nothing more than a pleasant fantasy. Even if this thing did exist, only one from another w-"  
  
The language written at the bottom of the page caught his eye. It was Japanese, the native tongue of his mother. His Aunt Fuu had insisted that he and his sibilings, along with their adopted cousins, learn to speak, read, and write the language, though to Zagato it always seemed useless. Now he sent a silent prayer to Aunt Fuu, thanking her for doing so, for contained in these words were the very thing that he needed. Joyfully, he raced out of the room, nearly tripping over Ascon in the process. Without a word of apology, he raced off, leaving Ascon curious over the behavior. He walked into the library and saw the book on the table. He glanced down at it; the mere look was enough to turn him ghost white and send a chill throughout his spine.  
  
"Oh, no."  
  
5 months, two weeks earlier.  
  
Kila woke up, still drowsy. She looked around, not being able to see past her nose. She tried to raise her arms, only to see that they were restrained by something.  
  
Chains.  
  
An attempt to sit up left her flat on the ground.  
  
"Oh, don't try to move yet; the drugs will where off momentarily."  
  
Kila turned and barely made out the features of a short, fat man.  
  
"Two questions, I am sure, are currently running through your mind right now: Why am I here, and who are you?" He laughed; it was a cruel, evil one. "The answer to the first is that you are here because your annoying brother ruined my reputation and undid several weeks worth of work; think of yourself as a replacement fee. Second, I am Tello, and I will be your new master from now on, slave."  
  
Kila flashed her sweetest smile before responding, "Listen up, fat boy, I have a name, and it's Kila. Second, if you let me go now, I may be able to restrain my brothers from ripping your heart out."  
  
Tello was taken aback from this brave front and involuntarily taking a step back; he wasn't used to this type of response from anyone, not even his superiors. Scowling at his sudden show of cowardice, Tello produced a small, multi-thronged whip, each end spiked.  
  
"I see we need an attitude adjustment, well I'll fix that right quick and in a hurry."  
  
As he rose it over his head, Kila shut her eyes and mentally prepared herself for the searing hot pain that was sure to follow; she had already resolved that, no matter what, she wouldn't give Tello the satisfaction of hearing her cry out. 


	6. Ch 5: The Legend of Satanix

Ch. 5: The Legend of Satanix  
  
Ascon raced to the throne room, almost out of breath; this had been the most he hand physically exerted himself in a long time. He would have teleported himself, but he was unable to concentrate on the spell. In a way, he was grateful, for it gave him a chance to think. How could Zagato possibly even consider this option? Ascon refused to consider the answer that he knew all too well..  
  
Zagato stormed into Eagle's room, finally finding Presea. At the noise, Presea immediately bolted up from her leaning position over Eagle and turned to face the intruder.  
  
"Zaga-Zagato, what are you doing here?" She asked rather lamely; he had every bit the right that she did to be there. Zagato glanced at Presea quizzically, and then pulled her out of the room, the door closing automatically behind them.  
  
Presea stood dumbfounded as Zagato hurriedly explained to her, "Presea, I need you to wait for me at the forge in the Forest of Silence. I should be there in about two months." Presea glanced back at the room.  
  
"What about Eagle?" Zagato did a sharp intake; he completely forgot about Eagle.  
  
"I think it's safe to leave him alone for that long; it's not as if he needs much looking after; just making sure that he's comfortable. But Presea, this is very important; you mustn't tell anyone of this. And you need to leave right away."  
  
Presea nodded, as she was too confused to do anything else. Zagato thanked Pillar that she was unaware of his indefinite suspension; otherwise she would have refused and reported to Clef. Actually, she should have reported to Clef anyway, and wondered why she was so cooperative. Still, she agreed to abide by it, which meant she would, that much he knew. Now it was time for something more important; getting ready for his own journey.  
Master Mage Clef was talking to Lafarga and Ferio about a growing monster problem in the east; as much as they all wanted to find Kila, affairs of state must continue. And monsters were perhaps the biggest danger in Cephiro. No matter what Hikaru did to the Pillar System, the fear of the people would never go away, and as a result neither would the monsters. To anyone gifted with powers of observation, they may have noticed Clef's subtle changes that only a select few recognized; he was slower, with more wrinkles in his face, and seemed less..imposing. The changes were certainly more noticeable now that Kila had gone missing, but no one made any mistake; with the unfortunate demise of Lantis all those years ago, Clef was still the undisputed most powerful mage in Cephiro.  
  
"It seems an unusually large group of Titars has shown up in the eastern forests," Clef began. "They shouldn't be too difficult to draw out and exterminate. I think a standard operation would suffice."  
  
As Ferio and Lafarga nodded their heads in agreement, Ascon burst in through the chambers, completely out of breath. Clef looked at his chief disciple and chosen successor with bewilderment.  
  
"Ascon, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to put the library back in order."  
  
Ascon waited a moment, and then looked Clef right in the eye. "Master Mage, I think Zagato is going to try something incredibly stupid. I think-no, I know-he is going to attempt to revive the Rune-God Satanix."  
  
*Before you ask, yes, I am aware that everything up to this point has been Manga based, but this is the only thing I am taking out of context because, lets face it, Mashin doesn't sound nearly as cool as Rune-God*  
  
Clef felt as if someone punched him in the face; he suddenly had the urge to sit.  
  
"'The RUNE-GOD Satanix'? You mean there is more than three?!" shouted Ferio, suddenly and unexplainably afraid.  
  
"Perhaps it would be more prudent to tell us of this Satanix than to question the obvious."  
  
All four turned to see Fuu, Umi and Ascot standing in the doorway. As the three sat down, Umi piped up, "Ha. That's rich coming from you, Fuu. You spent half your time stating and questioning the obvious during our adventures here in Cephiro."  
  
While Fuu promptly blushed as she took her seat in Ferio's lap, Clef stood up again.  
  
"Very well, it isn't a particularly long legend. Thousands of years ago, one group of Magic Knights decided to live in Cephiro, much like you three did. One of them, a man from your world became the High Recorder. Among his duties was to re-record many of the legends of this land. And he came upon this one, one day.  
  
'It was an ancient legend, telling of a fourth Rune-God, Satanix. But unlike the other three, it didn't represent an element, but an emotion; Vengeance. He checked on this legend, taking him many years to find it, but find it he did. And there he learned of the terrible truth of Satanix. Its power reflected the will of vengeance in its don-er ten thousand-fold. One could easily use this evil power to match the goodness of the other three, and gain the revenge they seek. However, to one whom cannot control their vengeance, or mistake's another emotion for vengeance, then the Rune-God will take a cruel revenge of its own; it will fail its don-er when it is needed the most."  
  
"How awful," cried out Fuu, "What was to be their redemption ends merely in their destruction."  
  
Clef, not used to being interrupted, continued. "Yes, it is a sad ending, and this former Magic Knight tried to make sure that no one would be able to use it. He took no chances; he spent hours making sure that it only one from another world could awaken a Rune-God."  
  
Here Clef paused, unwilling to continue, yet knowing he must. At this point Umi piped up.  
  
"Well, someone needs to go tell Zagato that he's wasting his time. Only those from another world can become Magic Knights."  
  
"No, that is not true." Clef stated sadly. The others gazed upon Clef incredulously.  
  
"The aforementioned Magic Knight found a terrible secret, one that was lost even then. He almost convinced himself to destroy this information, but it would be in direct violation of his position which he swore as High Recorder. In the end, he compromised with himself. He used magic ink so that it would never need recording again, and wrote it in his native language, in hopes that none would be ever able to read it. He gave a translated copy to the Master Mage at that time, so that they might at least always no of the danger. The translation was roughly, 'The most common misconception of the little-known legend of the Magic Knights is that one must be from another world to awaken a Rune-God. That is only a half-truth. The only true requirement to qualify for awakening a Rune-God is that you must merely have blood from another world flowing through your veins.' In other words, those from another world, and their descendants, have the power to awaken Rune-Gods."  
  
Everyone except Ascon now stared at Clef in horror. Lafarga at this time cleared his throat.  
  
"Yes, well, um, I believe that Zagato will be wasting his time never-the- less. I have guards under strict orders to let neither him nor Lintas out of the palace.."  
  
At that moment two guards burst into the room. They were torn and obviously just been on the wrong end of a beating.  
  
"We...came to report..that Lt. Zagato, has escaped."  
  
Lafarga leaped to his feet, but Clef placed his staff on Lafarga's shoulder.  
  
"It is useless to chase after him now; he will be half-way to the Forest of Silence by now, looking for the legendary mineral, escudo. What we must do is warn Presea."  
  
Clef began using his telepathy, trying to sense Presea, but he couldn't. He could 'feel' her presence in Cephiro, but he couldn't place it, which meant only one thing..  
  
"It appears as if we are too late. Zagato has already told Presea to wait in her forge by the Forest of Silence." Clef could only shake his head.  
  
"He'll eventually find the Spring Eterna, and I doubt he'll have much trouble obtaining escudo. We must stop him," Clef stated with a sense of urgency, "He has no idea what he is doing. His hate is so strong, I doubt even he, who has a heart stronger than his father's, the greatest native magic user Cephiro had ever seen (Clef stood firm in the belief that Lantis' powers equaled the elder Zagato, possibly exceeding them, and certainly his own) could handle it. At times he looks to have the strength of his mother, both he and Lintas, but luckily for us, at least at this stage when Zagato is far from finding Satanix, neither have quite learned how to alter all their heart's energy to full their magic, as they were busy with their military duties. We can still stop him, if we form the right plan."  
  
Ascon spoke up. "Allow me to go after him, Master."  
  
Clef, Umi and Ascot both stared at him, giving him the 'not in your dreams' look.  
  
Ascon sighed and calmly stated, "If Zagato is indeed in this cycle, he will need a close friend to help him. And while he is rather unemotional and detached, Zagato is one of my friends, and I think I may even be able to convince him to come back. But if I must use force, I will."  
  
Clef sighed and nodded his head in consent. "You have power beyond your years, Ascon. Go then, and bring him back."  
  
Ascon bowed, whispered a spell, and disappeared.  
Phew. That took me a while to update First off; I would like to thank hikarushidou and kamazova for their kind and motivational compliments. BTW, kamazova, from your review, I got the impression that you have the impression that you thought I was a girl. Well, errrr, I'm a guy. Wait, let me check, *checks real quick*, yeah I'm a guy. It's okay, though, I can understand where you would have trouble. Second, I would like to give an extended thanks to DarkHorse, for his constructive criticism. Constructive, not done in an ass-hole way criticism can be more helpful then all the compliments in the world. Not that I mind them ladies, but they are more helpful.writing wise. Ego-wise, however, I think DarkHorse is a bastard. LOL just kidding. BTW, finish your Ramarian crisis fic, it was really good, damn it! Please R&R, especially Review, cause that way I know you are reading 


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